William Rush, Waterloo Road star and son of Debbie Rush, dies aged 31

Thursday, 18 December 2025 20:58

By David Murphy

Debbie Rush, best known for her role as Anna Windass in Coronation Street, has confirmed the death of her son William Rush at the age of 31.

The actress shared the news via a public statement, describing the family's heartbreak and paying tribute to her son’s generosity in becoming an organ donor.

William Rush, a former actor who starred in Waterloo Road, died on Wednesday. No cause of death has been made public. His mother said the family’s hearts were “completely broken” and described William as “our beautiful baby boy”.

Rush found fame playing Josh Stevenson in the BBC school drama Waterloo Road, appearing in 168 episodes from 2009 to 2013. He had earlier roles in Grange Hill and Shameless, and later appeared in Casualty and Vera. He also auditioned for The X Factor in 2016, reaching the six-chair challenge.

In her tribute, Debbie Rush also highlighted her son's decision to register as an organ donor. “Even in our darkest moment, William gave the most precious gift of all,” she wrote, explaining that his donation had already given “hope and life to other families”.

She added: “His kindness and love will forever be part of his legacy. We kindly ask that our privacy be respected as we navigate this unimaginable grief.”

Tributes poured in from across the acting world. Fellow Coronation Street stars offered their support, including Sally Dynevor, Jack P Shepherd and Shobna Gulati. Chelsee Healey, who co-starred with William in Waterloo Road, said: “My heart breaks for you all, I'm so so sorry.”

William grew up in Rochdale and attended Matthew Moss High School.